


I'm not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts

by dreamingbook



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Best Friends to Lovers, Fluff and spiders, Kissing and Kidnapping, M/M, Thanos plays for Arsenal F.C #confirmed, not canon compliant- Eric Dier and Dele Alli being normal human beings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-20 23:20:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14904101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamingbook/pseuds/dreamingbook
Summary: 5 times Dele doesn't tell Eric what's going on with him and one time he does.....( or the one where Dele is totally Spiderman and Eric is totally done with his bullshit.)





	I'm not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts

**Author's Note:**

> Ehh I don't really have an explanation for this, except that i might not have coped that well with infinity war. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think in the comments <3
> 
> All mistakes are mine.

1.

 

Dele was being late.

Again.

 

It wouldn’t be that much of a deal normally, because everyone was late sometimes. Eric had been late on multiple occasions throughout his life but the thing was - he always had a plausible excuse.

 

Dele however did not and after being stood up for the fifth time in two weeks Eric was running out of patience.

 

His skin is prickling with annoyance and the tea he prepared for the both of them was already cold again, standing forgotten on his dinner table.

 

Eric sighs pushing his back further into the couch cushions and pulling a blanket over himself. He had really looked forward to this evening. Just the both of them watching Batman the dark knight on his TV and basically doing nothing. But they would be doing it together. Eric loved doing things with Dele together.

 

His right hand reaches for his phone. He thinks about calling Dele for a minute but he changes his mind because he’s sick of always being the one making an effort.

 

Eric deserved better from his best friend.

 

It isn't like he wasn’t worried about Dele because something was certainly going on with him that made him unable to focus on anything else. Eric is sure that it’s only a matter of time before Dele is losing focus on the pitch as well.  Although maybe it wasn’t even something bad going on. Maybe Dele just found himself a girlfriend (or a boyfriend) someone it was worth losing his focus over.

Still, Dele would have told him. He’s convinced of it. So whatever was going on… it wasn’t good.

 

The week had been stressful enough, Pochettino was busting their arses and made them train harder than ever. It was pre season training and Eric knew that there was no other choice than to win a trophy this time, but he was also human, no superpowers and all, and his body was getting tired. He sees Dele in training every day but it just isn't the same and the longer he waits the more angry he gets.

 

He checks his phone again, but there's still no new message from Dele. He sighs and sends a quick..  _ You still coming? _  and  _ u ok?   _ to Dele just in case something bad had happened and Dele was actually in trouble.

 

Might as well start watching the movie alone.

 

He's almost halfway through when the thrill sound of his bell makes him jolt awake from his couch and almost sends him crashing to the floor.

 

_ What the hell. _

 

He slowly makes his way to the front door, yawning before he opens it.

It shouldn’t come as such a surprise that it’s Dele standing in front of him, dressed in grey sweat pants and a soft looking jumper. His hair looks slightly messy and there’s a small cut right under his eye. It’s barely visible in the dim light but Eric notices it directly. He wants to touch it, wants to touch Dele’s face to see if he’s okay.

Instead he asks.: “What are you doing here?”

Dele looks confused for a moment. “Did we not have plans today?”

“We did.” Eric confirms . “2 hours ago.” He's trying not to sound bitter but at Dele’s facial expression he notices he didn’t succeed.

 

Dele manages to actually look guilty and Eric thinks  _ good _ .

 

“I’m sorry.” Dele says and he sounds so genuine that Eric once again feels his resistance crumble.

“Something came up and..”  “Yeah, yeah you had to save the world.” Eric interrupts him and Dele grimaces.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Dele says and there’s an odd look that Eric doesn’t know how to interpret.

“What, so the reason you’re always ditching me is not because you have secret powers and trying to get rid of all evil in your spare time?” Eric asks looking at Dele expectantly.

It's an interesting thought Eric has to admit and the only excuse he would probably accept at the moment.

“Superheroes don’t exist.”

“Oh, but they do.” Eric says and he grabs Dele by the arm, pulling him inside his house and  pushing him inside his living room.

 

Now that he’s here he might as well stays.

 

“We were planning to watch a film about them remember?” Batman was still showing on his tv.

“Yeah, no you’re right.” Dele says and plops down on the couch, grabbing the blanket, pulling it over himself. He opens the blanket, stretching one arm out and Eric follows the silent invitation.

Dele is warm against his side and he smells like his cologne, and something strong that reminds Eric of burning wood. His eyes linger on the small cut on Dele’s cheek for a moment but before he can ask what’s going on, Dele interrupts him.

“I really am sorry.” He apologizes again, sounding so tired that Eric just nods and lets Dele lean into him, clearly looking for some comfort.

There really was something odd going on but Dele clearly wasn't ready to tell him so Eric wouldn't push.

 

Not yet.

 

There was a limit to his patience but Dele was here now and that was all that mattered.

 

He would get the truth eventually.

  
  
  


***

2.

 

“What’s that?” Eric asks when he spots Dele putting something into his training back. It doesn’t look like any of their training clothes, the red and blue to bright and the texture too shiny.

“Nothing.” Dele says a bit too fast, trying to hide his bag behind his back. Eric narrows his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest.

“If it’s nothing, you can tell me.” Eric tries his best imitate his mother’s voice trying to discipline her children. It always worked on him but Dele seemed to have build up a resistance against anything authorial.

 

There’s a look of fear in Dele’s brown eyes as if Eric would only be there to judge him and Eric wonders what that is all about. He would never judge him for anything. Dele was Eric’s person, even if he didn’t know about it yet.

“Fine. Don’t tell me.” The annoyance is back in Eric’s voice because sometimes trying is just fruitless.

“Those are my pyjamas.” Dele finally admits and Eric would have believed him if he didn’t know better.

But he does know better.

“What happened to your birthday suit?” He asks because it was a fact for everyone and anyone that Dele preferred to sleep naked. Eric had a hard time not to think about it.

Dele shrugs. “I’m getting cold easily.”

“It’s summer.” Eric  says because England might have a reputation for rainy weather but during this time of the year it was getting hot just as easily.

“Can’t you just let it go?” Dele asks and Eric is surprised by the defensiveness, so he blinks at him in irritation but changes the subject nonetheless.

 

“Are we still on for tonight?”

“Yeah of course.” Dele says and his face lights up a bit at the mention of them spending time together. Eric’s chest feels warm all of a sudden.

“Good, don’t forget to bring your pyjamas.” He says because he can’t help it. They might have changed the subject but it didn’t mean that Eric would just forget.

“I hate you.” Dele says and Eric laughs before exiting the changing rooms and leaving Dele and his pyjamas in peace.

  
  


***

  
  
  


3.

 

Fights on the football pitch weren’t necessarily rare, Eric knew that. Dele being reckless and hot headed during a game was not out of the ordinary. It was just the way Dele was as a person, there were no rules when he had the ball.

Normally it didn’t raise that many eyebrows because it was just the way it was but today Eric just couldn’t shake the feeling that it was different.

  
He hasn't seen Dele this upset in a long time.

 

It all starts when one of the players  kicks Eric hard and he goes down, holding his ankle in pain.

The pain doesn’t last long and Eric knows that nothing serious had happened to his foot. He’s about to stand up again and yell at his opponent, maybe risking a yellow card when he notices that is best friend is already doing it on his behalf.

  
  


_ Oh no, _  Eric thinks because he can already smell the red card. Once Dele was going at it there was no stopping it.

 

He has to do something.

 

So instead of getting angry himself he reaches out for Dele, trying to calm him down with his touch. Dele always calmed down when someone touched him. Touches grounding him, Eric knows because Dele told him it once on a saturday night when they couldn’t stop sharing secrets. It was a night, that changed a lot between them and they’ve been closer ever since, even though  Eric can’t help the feeling that they are slowly growing apart, since there's  something Dele isn’t telling him.

“Dele, come on. Stop it.” Eric says when his touch doesn’t seem to work and Dele keeps glaring at the Arsenal player, who’s smirking at them, no sign of regret on his face.

 

Bastard.

 

Eric glances at the referee who’s now moving his hand closely to his backpocket and no, they really do not want a red card on the first game of the season.

They had a trophy to win.

 

“He’s evil, Eric.” Dele says through gritted teeth but  Eric shakes his head confused.

“Dele, I’m fine. Yes, Thanos is a massive jerk but really don’t sweat it.”

“No, you don’t understand. He’s ..” Dele grips his curls in frustration, exhaling through his nose.  Eric can sense that Dele is really distressed and as much  as Eric wants to continue this conversation, they have to finish a game first.

“You know what, just forget it.” Dele says and shakes himself out of Eric’s grip.

Eric wishes he could just let the conversation slip his mind but the way Dele’s eyes keep glancing between him and Thanos the whole game gives him more questions than it answers.

  
  


 

***

 

4.

They have a day off on sunday and Eric and Dele spend it together walking around London. The weather is still mostly warm, but there’s something in the air between them that let’s Eric shiver. He thinks that there might be a storm coming soon.

Next to him Dele is awfully quiet.

 

Eric hates the tension that is between them, hates that he can actually feel the walls building around Dele. The same ones he had carefully managed to break down in all the years of their friendship. They’ve told each other things, no one else knew about them, things that weren’t meant for the public, things that Eric keeps locked away somewhere deep in his heart.

Whatever Dele is keeping to himself changed him. Eric misses the old Dele, the one that showed up when they had plans, the one that made him laugh with his jokes and the one that wasn’t on edge the whole time.

Eric was sick of being worried about Dele. Things needed to change.

Dele clearly doesn’t plan on telling him anything, so Eric had to take matters into is own hands.

Another five minutes pass without either of them saying anything and that’s it when Eric has enough.

 

“What the fuck is going on with you?” He asks stopping mid step, making Dele stop too and turning towards him.

“Huh?” Dele says apparently somewhere on a different planet with his thoughts.

“You heard me.” Eric says. ”I want to know what’s going on with you. You’re not acting like yourself.” He pauses before searching for Dele’s eyes. “Dele what’s wrong?” He tries to be gentle with his voice not wanting to scare him off.

 

Dele stares at him for a moment and then he’s looking away, anywhere but Eric. When several moments pass and Dele still hasn’t said anything, Eric sighs rubbing his hands over his face.  He needed to shave.

 

Fine. If Dele was taking the route of silence, Eric was taking the route home.

 

“I’m in love with you.” Dele blurts out and claps his hand in front of his mouth as if the words weren’t supposed to come out.

 

Eric thinks his heart might give out.

  
  


***

5.

 

Out of all the things Eric had thought Dele could be hiding from him, being in love with Eric was not even the last point on his mental list. It wasn’t even  _on_  his list. Even Dele being bitten by some radioactive insect had seemed more likely than his best friends having feelings for him.

Serious feelings like _  love. _

 

His heart is still pushing heavy against his ribcage and the way Dele looks at him with eyes full of emotion, doesn’t make it calm down.

 

_ I’m in love with you. _

The words echo inside Eric’s head like a song and with every repetition the giddy feeling inside his chest is getting stronger.

“You love me?” He asks because it still seems kind of surreal. He can’t help the little smile that is tugging at his lips.

There was no denying it that Dele had found his place in Eric’s heart a long time ago. There was also no denying that the platonic feelings of love and friendship turned into not platonic feelings of love and friendship some time ago. 

  
Eric is content though with just being Dele’s best friend because everything is better than not having Dele in his life at all.

Now things seem to have changed.

Dele nods and the simple action lets Eric’s heart jolt. He swallows trying hard to keep all the words down that threaten to spill out of his mouth.

 

“I’m in love with you.” Dele repeats. “Have been for a while I guess.” He shrugs obviously trying to appear calm like it’s no big deal but Eric knows Dele. He knows that he’s freaking out on the inside because Eric hasn’t really said anything back that would indicate that he’s returning his feelings.

Maybe he should do something about it.

 

“Can I kiss you?” Eric asks because why not jump to the point directly.

Dele looks startled for a moment and Eric smiles in amusement. They’re both complete idiots.

 

“I’m in love with you, too.” Eric says and that’s all it takes for a smile to break out on Dele’s face, happy and bright. Eric wants it to stay on Dele’s face forever.

But first a kiss.

 

Dele pulls him into a small alley where they are away from prying eyes before their lips collide with one another. It’s tentative and sweet. There’s no rush because they have all the time in the world, or so Eric hopes. When they pull apart, Eric feels like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders, the tension from the last weeks seeping out of his muscles. He hugs Dele tight, breathing him in. He doesn’t feel like letting go, but Dele is pushing against him, breaking their embrace.

“You have a little spider on your arm.” Dele says and Eric instinctively shudders.

“Make it go away.” He pleads because no one likes having insects crawling all over them. Dele giggles and Eric pinches him in the hip.

“It’s just a spider.” Dele says and he smirks. “Trust me, they’re nice.”

 

***

  
  
+1.  
  


There were a lot of things Eric thought weren’t possibly ever going to happen to him, including being kidnapped by a giant purple alien in an arsenal shirt.

Eric was not prepared.

 

He’s on his way to buy some breakfast for him and Dele, some coffee and maybe some pastries. It still feels like a bit of a dream.

Dele is in love with him. He’s in love with Dele.

Eric knows that they’re still a lot of things they both have to discuss with each other but for now he just let’s the good feelings run its course.

His whole body feels warm and content and he can’t wait to get back to Dele waiting in his bed, breathing in his scent and holding him close. Maybe stealing a kiss or two or other things. Eric wasn’t picky.

Yeah, he felt content.

 

Eric doesn’t feel content though when someone grabs his arm out of nowhere and yanks him from the sidewalk.  Eric isn’t a small man and he’s strong but the grip on his arm is so tight that Eric just knows that he doesn’t have any chance to fight it. So he doesn’t.

He feels something sharp colliding with his head, the pain blinding him. The last thing he sees is a shadow leaning over him and the colour purple before everything around him goes dark.

  
  


When Eric wakes up, everything is blurry. There’s a dull pain in his head making it unable for him to really focus on his surroundings. He’s sitting on a chair and when he tries to move his hands he finds himself not able to. Someone must have tied them to the chair. His left arm hurts bad and Eric hopes nothing is seriously damaged.

It looks like he’s in some kind of abandoned warehouse, the plain concrete walls and the strong smell of mold giving it away. Eric blinks, trying to move again but the ties won’t budge and he feels his heart start beating faster when he begins to panic.

What on earth was going on.

He closes his eyes briefly, inhaling through his nose to calm down and when he opens them again, he’s staring into a giant purple face, that looks like it belongs to a reptile, the way it’s scattered with scales all over.

Maybe Eric is still unconscious, maybe this is all just a bad fever dream.

The alien - there’s really no better way to describe the  _ creature _ \- looks like it would crack the 3m mark in height and in width easily, arms bulging in a t-shirt that looks at least 4 sizes too small. Eric can’t help but let out a little chuckle when he sees that the shirt turns out to be an Arsenal kit.

He’s clearly hallucinating.

“Eric Dier.” The purple alien says and his voice sends a shiver down Eric’s spine. It’s cold and simply not human that every single hair on Eric’s body stands up. Somewhere in the back of his mind the voice sounds familiar but Eric can’t place it.

“Do you remember me? I’m Thanos.” And there it is. Eric’s mind flashes back to the game a few days ago. It would certainly explain the shirt, but definitely not the purple.

Maybe there was something right about Dele’s suspicion that Thanos was evil.

 

_ Dele. _

 

Eric’s heart speeds up again when he thinks about the other boy, hoping that he’s fine. He prays that Dele is still sound asleep in Eric’s bed.

 

“Do you want to know why I brought you here?” Yes, Eric would like to know very much. Thanos takes his silence as a confirmation and starts explaining.

“Your little friend has something of me.” He says and that doesn’t really explain anything at all.

Little friend?

“I dont know what your talking about.” Eric says because he’s confused. His throat is dry and talking hurts but he really doesn’t know what Thanos is talking about.

“Liar.” Thanos says and there’s a threatening edge to his voice, face coming closer to Eric’s and Eric swallows dry.

 

He feels a bit scared.

 

Thanos Hands are now back on Eric’s arms, his yellow eyes staring right into Eric’s skull as if  he’s trying to read his thoughts. Eric wouldn’t be surprised if that was actually possible.

 

“The spider has my stones.” Thanos repeats but Eric screws his eyes shut, everything getting a bit much.

Stones? Spider? Thanos words didn’t make any sense.

 

“Let him go, Thanos.” A voice appears somewhere behind Eric and Eric definitely knows that voice.

Huh.

This day was officially the weirdest day in his life. Eric wants to say something wants to tell him to just go away and be safe, but his mouth stays close.

 

“Oh would you look at that. The spider arrives..” Thanos smirks and Eric tries to wrap his mind around everything that is happening.

“Give me the stones,or your precious lover will die.” It’s definitely a threat.

 

Eric tries to get a glimpse of the other person that is now coming out of the shadows. And there he is. Eric recognizes the  red and blue pyjamas instantly and something in his head just clicks. The missed dates, the unexplained injuries,the secret. It all suddenly makes sense.

“I said. Let him go.” Dele repeats, this time his voice is deeper, more demanding and it sends chills down Eric’s spine and also right through his dick.

This was  _ so _  not the time.

 

Dele is coming closer now but Thanos is not letting go of Eric. Eric can’t help but notice how graceful Dele moves, almost dances across the room. There’s white stuff coming out of his hands, attacking the alien as he glides around the warehouse.

 

 _Like a spider_   Eric thinks and then he groans because his arm really hurts. Eric wishes he could see Dele’s face but it’s masked and Eric wonders if Dele can even see anything at all. He hopes because there’s a fight about to start.

Eric feels his eyes drifting shut again, his head still painfully throbbing. He can’t concentrate it all getting hazy in his brain.

It feels like hours of thods and groans and things breaking when suddenly it’s quiet.

 

Eric feels someone undoing his ties and warm hands on his cheeks, lifting his head up. He blinks.

“Are you okay?” Dele asks, searching his face with concern in his eyes. He took of the mask and Eric smiles but then reality comes crashing back down on him.

“You’re… fucking Spiderman.” He says because that’s not something Eric knew about his boyfriend.

“No  _ you’re _  fucking Spiderman.” Dele giggles but sobers up when Eric doesn’t laugh.

“Too soon?”  Dele asks, grimacing before looking concerned again.

“Come on, you need to see a doctor. I promise I’ll explain everything.” Dele says helping Eric to get up from the chair.

“I’m fine.” Eric says even though he knows he’s not and he’s glad that Dele is helping him to stay on his feet.

 

***

 

Eric apparently only suffered a minor concussion and a bruised arm. Although Eric is sure that the strongest headache comes from all the new information that came out of this day.

 

Dele told him he’s ready for every question Eric has and Eric wants to have answers.

“So,” he starts, gesturing to the now abandoned suit on the floor, “ this is what you’ve been hiding all along? Being Spiderman was what made you act so weird?” It really was a strange concept. Dele’s silence says everything.

Eric feels incredibly confused and hurt. If Dele lied about things like this, what else had he been lying about?

“So what about the other day?” He asks because he has to know, has to know it wasn’t all a lie.

“What do you mean?” Dele asks before he sits himself next to Eric on the bed.

 

“You telling me you love me. Was it real or just you not wanting to tell me the real truth.”

 

“I would never lie about something like this Eric. Yes, I might have said it because I panicked but it doesn’t make it any less true. I  _ am _  in love with you and if you’ll still have me I’m here.”

Eric does believe him.

"I've never looked for somebody with superhuman abilities but if this is part of you, then it's part of me." He sighs before leaning against Dele and Dele presses a light kiss against the side of his head.

“So what about you? Are you hurt? Are you in danger?” Eric asks because there was a purple alien on the loose clearly looking for something. So much about not having to worry about Dele anymore.

Dele chuckles. “I’m fine. Thanos somehow got into his head that I’m having one of his precious stones that would enable him to rule the world but I do  _not_  have them. I think they’re a myth anyway so.. After today I think he might knows that he has to look elsewhere.”

 

“I really don't understand anything that you're talking about." Eric admits because his confusion is still there.

 

“It’s fine if you don’t.”

 

“How did you end up being Spiderman anyway?” Eric asks because how did that kind of thing happen to a 22 year old football player anyway.

 

“Well let me tell you a story…” Dele starts and Eric listens.

  
  
  
  


***

 

“Just because I know now that you’re Spiderman, doesn’t mean you have to hang upside down from the ceiling all the time.” Eric says because he might be in the know  for less than a few hours but it was already getting annoying.

“I saved your life today, a bit gratitude would be nice.”

“I wouldn’t even have been kidnapped if it wasn’t for you.” Eric says raising one eyebrow.

“I’m sorry for ruining your day then.” Dele says but not moving from where he comfortably hangs from the ceiling.

“You did not ruin my day.” Eric sighs because Dele somehow always improved his day.

“Would you please stop hanging upside down? This can’t be healthy.”

“Spiders hang upside down a lot.”

“You’re not a spider though.”

“Technically.”

“Are you having an identity crisis?” Eric asks because he would be okay with whatever Dele identified as but identifying as an insect was a whole other story.

“Very funny.”

“Then please stand on your feet.”

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t.”

“There’s a thing we still have to do.” Dele says and Eric blinks. “This is the perfect opportunity to do it. I just saved your life.” Dele continues and Eric gets the hint.

“You mean…?” Dele is an Idiot. Dele nods. Eric shakes his head in amusement because really? All of this just for a kiss?

“Hmm.. I don’t think we’re ready for that in our relationship yet.” Eric says because sometimes he likes to be a little shit too.

“Eric.” Dele whines and Eric has to admit that this is probably the most ridiculous conversation he's ever had, including talking to that giant purple alien a few hours ago. Dele in tight blue and red spandex hanging upside down from the ceiling of his living room definitely wasn’t normal.

“Fine.” Eric says because who was he to deny him anything? After all he's terribly smitten with that boy. Man.  _Spiderman._ So he reaches forward, cups Dele’s cheek with his hands before leaning in. The smile Dele is giving him is blinding and he’s sure he’s falling in love all over again.

“My hero.” Eric says dramatically, before pressing his lips to Dele’s.

 

Maybe he could get used to this.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 

  
  


 


End file.
